Yes — almost always, cataract surgery will improve your night vision for driving, walking and any other activities in low light.

One of the first symptoms of cataracts is a loss of contrast sensitivity, which is most apparent in dim lighting. As the cataract worsens, additional visual symptoms that affect night vision — most notably, glare, starbursts and halos around lights — become more problematic.

Removing your cataract and replacing it with a crystal-clear intraocular lens (IOL) typically will result in a dramatic improvement in the clarity and quality of your vision. Many people find this is especially true for activities like driving at night.

If minor refractive errors remain after cataract surgery, you may be able to sharpen your night vision even further by wearing prescription eyeglasses. If your wear eyeglasses for driving at night, be sure to have anti-reflective coating applied to the lenses for the clearest, most comfortable vision possible. AAV

About the Reviewer: Vance Thompson, MD, FACS, is the director of refractive surgery at Vance Thompson Vision in Sioux Falls, S.D. He also is professor of ophthalmology at the Sanford USD School of Medicine, a leading researcher in technologies for laser and implant vision correction and a member of All About Vision's editorial advisory board.